Turkish Politics

Turkey's support for rebels in neighboring Syria is helping to fuel anti-government protests that continue to unsettle the country. But analysts say the demonstrations aren’t about to prompt Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government to alter its policy on the Syrian conflict.

Even as Istanbul residents celebrated the reopening of Gezi Park, the small green space in the center of this city that sparked anti-government protests throughout Turkey last month, another demolition and another demonstration were busy getting underway. This time, gardens inside Istanbul's old city walls that date back to the 6th century are the target.

It’s been a month since the Gezi Park movement got started in Turkey, and over that short timeframe a new political generation has come of age. These politically awakened Turks have been dubbed the “Chapulling” generation. In this photo essay, photographer Francesco Pistilli strives to personify the movement.

With the summer vacation season getting underway in Turkey, experts are wondering what the impact of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s crackdown on Gezi Park protesters will be on the country’s tourism sector.

The situation in Turkey today could be much less polarized, without such strong anger and distrust of the police, if a key lesson learned in the South Caucasus had been applied in Taksim Square: governments should engage non-violent protestors and allow demonstrations to fizzle out gradually.

While much of the attention in the wake of the crackdown on the Gezi Park protests in Turkey has focused on its impact on domestic politics, experts are warning that recent events could have a deleterious effect on the country’s foreign policy.

With anti-government protests in Turkey showing no signs of subsiding, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is doubling down on tough talk. In addition to vowing to punish his domestic critics, the Turkish prime minister is picking a fight with the European Union.

In using strong-armed tactics against his critics in Istanbul, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has counted on the support of his political base, which is centered in Turkey’s Anatolia region. A visit to two strongholds of Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) suggest that while his backing in the conservative Turkish heartland is still strong, it’s potentially brittle.

Nearly two weeks after a protest to defend a downtown Istanbul park mushroomed into a near-national movement, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan opted June 11 for a power play against his critics. But the protest movement isn’t showing signs of crumbling.